Bed attachment



Nov. 27, 1928. 1,693,320

T. B. SMITH El AL BED ATTACHMENT Filed May 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [1V V EN T 0R3 Turner 5. Sm/fl) 2 James 5. Six lzr' gyg y Nov. 27, 1928.

T. B. SMITH ET AL BED ATTACHMENT Filed May 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Tiara Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,693,320 PATENT OFFICE.

TURNER B. SMITH AND JAMES E. BIXLER, OF WILMINGTON, CALIFORNIA.

BED ATTACHMENT.

Application filed May 9, 1927. Serial No. 189,996.

Our invention relates to attachments for beds of that character whichpermits the occupant of a bed to raise himself to any inclined positiondesired or to a sitting pos ture and whereby the necessity of otherpersons than the occupant of the bed to operate the attachment either inraising or lowering the occupant is eliminated.

It is a purpose of our invention to provide an extremely simple, durableand inexpensii'e attachment for beds which not only pcrmits the occupantto raise himself to a sitting posture or to any inclined position but toelevate and flex the legs, there being separate frames and mechanismsfor accomplishing the two functions, both of which are operable by theoccupant of the bed. It is also a purpose of our invention to pro vide abed attachment in which the back and leg frames are counterbalanced tofacilitate elevation of the two with the least possible physical effort.

lVe will describe only one form of bed attachment embodying ourinvention, and

' will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view showing in perspective a conventionalform of bed having applied thereto one form of attachment embodying ourinvention;

' Figure 2 is a plan View, somewhat diagrammatic, of the bed attachmentshown in Figure 1, and in applied position to a bed;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view showing in side elevation one of theclutches embodied in the attachment shown in the preceding views; 7 i

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line H of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring specifically to the drawings, our invention comprises in itspresent embodiment a pair of bars secured in any suitable manner to theside rails 16 of a bed frame,.and pivotally mounted on the for-' wardends of vthese bars are the ends of a U- shaped back frame 17 havingtherein a bed spring 18. This frame 17 is adapted to be elevated from ahorizontal position by means of a pair of bell crank arms 19 secured toa shaft 20 journaled in the side rails 16 of the bed frame: The upperends of these arms 19 are provided with rollers 21 which have rollingcontact with the under side of the side portions of the back frame 17,while connected to the lower ends of the arms are devices forcounterbalancing the weight of the frame for the purpose of facilitatingthe raising and lowering thereof. Each device in the present instancecomprises a pair of rods 22, one of which is connected to the lower endof the corresponding arm 19, while the other is connected to acontractile spring The spring in turn is connected to the rods 22 areadjustably.connected by means of a turnbuckle 2st whereby theactivetension of the spring 23 can be increased asdesired to secure therequired counterbalancing act-ion.

Connected to the upper ends of the arms 19 adjacent the rollers 21 are apair of cables 25 trained about drums 26 fixed to a shaft 27 journaledin the side rails of the bed frame. The shaft '27 is provided with athird drum 28 about which is trained a cable 29 connected to anoperating lever 30 of a clutch member K. Our invention includes a numberof these clutch members and operating levers, and as they are all ofidentical construction a detailed descriptionof one will suffice forall. As shown in-Figures 3, 4 and 5, the present clutch member comprisesa: head. 31 formed with an annular groove 32 of U-shapein cross section.This-head 31 is fixed to or formed integral with the correspondingshaft, which in the present instance is the shaft 20, so as to rotatethe latter when actuated.

A casing 33 is freely rotatable on the head 31 and is provided with anextension 34 on which is fulcrumed a lever 30. The lever is providedwith anarcuate extension 35 movable in a slot 36 of the casing 33 andformed with a V-shaped edge 37 adapted to seat within the groove 32 sothatwhen the lever is bodily rotated with'th'e casing 33, rotation ofthe head 31, and consequently the shaft 20, will be effected. Throughthe medium of a spring 38 the. extension 35 of the lever 30 is yieldablyurged to a position in which the edge 37 does not contact with the wallsof the groove 32 so that the shaft 20 can rotate independently of thecasing and lever.

By means of a collar 39 the spring 38 can be attached to any adjacentsuitable part of bed frame. The confronting ends of the two themechanism for holding the spring ex- 1 other clutch members are likewiseprovided with springs and collars associated with the levers foryieldably urging the latter to non operative positions with respect tothe heads 31.

In the elevation of the back frame 17 the arms 19 can be elevatedthrough proper rotation of the shaft 20. The shaft is adapted to berotated by an actuation of the operating lever 80. To operate the leverit is necessary to wind'the cable 29: upon the i drumQS and this iseffected by. rotation of thesh-aft 27 in a counterclockwise direction aswhen viewed in Figure 1. The shaft 27 is rotated in this direction byoperation of a lever 4010f a clutch member K", the lever in turn being-.operable by a cable -ll extended forwardly and around a pulley l2. Thecable extends upwardly from'the pulley over a see- 0nd pulley l3, whenceit is connected to the upper end of a lever An operating cord 7 v isconnected to the upper end of the lever vating the back frame 17.

To lower the. frame 17the arms 19 can be moved downwardly by Winding thecables 25' upon the reels 26. Thisis effected by rotation of the shaft27 in the reverse direction'and through operation of a. lever d6. ofa-clutchmember K Thole-yer 4611s actu' atedthrough the medium of acable47 trained over a pulley 48' and thenextended' forwardly aroundpulleys-49- and 50,.whence it is connectedto a lever 51 provided with anoperating cord 52 within easy reach of the occupant of the bed. v

For elevating and flexing the legs of the occupant as is customary inhospital beds of thisgeneral character, we provide a pair of frames eachincluding a pair'of bars'53 and 54 pivotally connected to each other attheir confronting ends and with the forward end of the bar 54: pivotallyconnected to the end of the (:O-I'IQSPOIlCllIlg bar 15. The bars 53 arerigidly connected toeach other by a cross bar '53 so that the two framesmove together and in correlation to constitute a single frame.-

By the-elevation'of arms 55 the barsb l can be elevated from ahorizontal position and by virtue of the pivotal connection of the bars53 with the bars 5 4: it will be clear that when the latter are elevatedthe elevation of the 'barsio will likewise be effected so that the twoframeassume a 'V-for-m so. that a mattress overlying andspanning theframes will be bulged upwardly to elevate and upwardly flex the legs ofthe occupant.

To elevate the arms 55. they fixed to a shaft 56 journaled in the siderails 16 of the bed frame, the upper ends of the arms carry-*ingrollers57 for rolling contact with the bars 54, while the lower ends areconnected to counterbalancing devices identical in construction andoperation to the previously described devices. Rotation of the shaft- 56to elevate the arms 55 is effected by an operating le /c1557 and aclutch member K the lever being operated by a cable 58 trained about areel 59 fixed to a The shaft 69 in turn is rotated in one direction toeffect winding'of thecable 58 on the reel 59-01 a lever 61' and a clutchmember K, the lever being attached to a cable 62 which extends forwardlyand upwardly around pulleys 6.2 and 63, where the cable is connected toa lever til provided with an operating cord within easy reach of theoccupant of the bed. The shaft 69 is provided with a pair of reels 66.about which are trained cablesv 67 connected to the upper ends of thearn'is 55 so that by rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction thecables will be wound upon the reels to lower the arms and permitcollapsing of the frames. The shaft is rotated in this direction througha lever 68 and a clutch member K the lever being connected to a cable 69trained about a pulley-7O secured to the foot end of the bed frame andextended forwardly from such pulley to the head end ofthe bed framewhere it is extended upwardly about pulleys 71 and 72 and connected toan operating lever 7 3pmvided with acord' 74.- within easy reach of theoccupant of the bed.

It willbe un lerstood that withrotation of the shaft 60 to wind thecables 67,011 the reel 66, an unwinding of the cable 58 from the reel.59will be effected to prevent operation of the lever 57'. Conversely,when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction the cables 67 willbe unwound from the reels 66 to permit the. arms 55 to be elevated. p

All of the pulleys l2,l4r9 and 62 and 71 are mountedin a common frameindicated at 7 5, secured in any suitable manner to the head end rail ofthe bed frame- All of the pulleys 48, 63, etc. as well as the levers ll,64, etc. are mounted on a common frame indicated at 76 and which issuitably secured to the top of a head, of the bed frame.- 1

shaft 60;

ill)

iii

lowering or elevation of the frame as the arms are moved in onedirection or the other, a second shaft, a reel fixed to the secondshaft, a cable on the reel, a lever to which said cable is connected, aclutch member on the first shaft and on which said lever is supported toeffect rotation of the shaft when the lever is actuated, and meansoperable from a remote point for rotating the second shaft in onedirection to wind the cable on said reel and thereby effect operation ofsaid lever.

2. A bed attachment comprising a frame pivotally supported to permitelevation and lowering thereof, a shaft, arms fixed to the shaft andengageable with the frame to effect lowering or elevation of the frameas the arms are moved inone direction or the other, a second shaft, areel fixed to the second shaft, a cable on the reel, a lever to whichsaid cable is connected, a clutch member on the first shaft and on whichsaid lever is supported to effect rotation of the shaft when the leveris actuated, a pair of reels fixed to the second shaft and having cablesconnected to said arms, means for rotating the second shaft in.

one direction to effect winding of the first cable on the first reel toactuate said lever, and means for rotating the second shaft in theopposite direct-ion to cause the second mentioned cables to be wound oncorresponding reels and thereby effect a lowering of said arms.

3. A bed attachment as embodied in claim 2, wherein both of said meansincludes levers,

clutch members, and cables for actuating the levers from remote points.

4. A bed attachment as embodied in claim 2 wherein each clutch memberincludes a head secured to the respective shaft and provided with agroove, a casing rotatable on the head and upon which said lever ismounted, an extension on the lever adapted to engage within the groovewhen the lever is rotated in one direction to provide an operativeconnection between the lever and head, and yieldable means for urgingthe lever to a position in which the extension is removed from thegroove.

TURNER B. SMITH.

JAMES E. BIXLER.

